Don’t say goodbye…..

Wise words for 2023

A World Apart

I’ve read a few posts where a resounding goodbye is made to old 2022, then door firmly shut and an optimistic face put forward.

I was thinking about that this morning in the bumbling about way my mind works, and it occurred to me that slamming the door on the old year, as one might on an old relationship might not be wise.

There are things I treasured about this year; events, people, lessons learned, and lessons relearned.

I don’t want to even forget about the difficult things, from which we learn and grow.

I sort of just want to gently shut the door, and give thanks.

This bit below says far more clearly my own thoughts.

Vedanta Kesari means ‘Lion of Vedanta’ and is a cultural and spiritual English monthly magazine published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai

No matter what you believe in, or do not believe in, (and…

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If Wishes were horses..

A World Apart

‘All beggars would ride’

Comes that time of year when Resolutions fly fast and furious and may or may not be Wishes.

Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com

I was about eight years old when my teacher made the quote about horses and wishes, and it stuck with me. Probably because it had made perfect sense, although I did not fully understand the implications.

I saw this posted today on Darlene Foster’s Facebook (she of the Amanda Adventure series). I don’t know who Butterfly Sand is, but I know enough about Darlene that she understands the importance of ‘our hands’. You know the doing part.

We can plan, we can hope, we can wish.

But it all goes for nought without the doing.

Here we are, JB and me. Partners in A World Apart, living on opposite sides of this globe. That’s us a year and a bit ago when we…

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Welcome Another Year

A World Apart

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come,
Whispering ‘it will be happier’…”
―Alfred Lord Tennyson

January 1, 2023, and another beautiful summer day here in New Zealand/Aotearoa – the land of the long white cloud.  

Much of yesterday was spent sorting and tidying cupboards and drawers. I think those years spent in Scotland had a bigger impact on me than I realised. It is a tradition in Scotland for houses to be cleaned, polished, and tidied before the New Year comes in, and so this is what was occupying my time yesterday. 

Then today, my daughter decided that we would tidy the cupboard in our shared laundry.  This, of course, set off another round of attacking those cupboards and drawers that hadn’t been attacked yesterday.

After this flurry of work, I decided that I would have a cup of coffee sitting in this sunshine and enjoying this place…

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Me – pedantic?

A World Apart

Pedantic n: excessively concerned with minor details
or rules;overscrupulous.

I have realised that as I’m ageing I am becoming pedantic.  I find myself correcting the newscasters. They say who instead of whom; less instead of fewer, have two choices instead of a choice, split infinitives, etc etc.

While at the hospital recently I saw a message on the wall that said if you are a woman and between the ages of 17 to 65 – or some such ages. Later I drew my daughter’s attention to the mistaken use of to instead of and.  She responded with the question, did I understand what was being transmitted.  Of course, I answered yes, but it still worried me. And her further response was – Well that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?

Then later in the week, when just thinking about nothing in particular, it came to me that I was becoming pedantic.  The…

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Happy Christmas

A World Apart

As the clock ticks on there is nothing to say except to wish you a Happy Christmas, Hanukkah or however you celebrate this time of the year.

It’s Christmas Day here in the land of the long white cloud and the day is coming to an end. The sun has helped make this a very special day for me and my family.

Dinner sitting outside in the sun – perfect. Perfect food, perfect company, perfect wine and perfect weather. No one could ask for more.

The Pohutakawa or New Zealand
Christmas tree.

And a final thought for today –
There are only 372 days to Christmas

JB December 25, 2022

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Take my Merry Christmas without offence and Dinner Alone

Chris is planning a special Christmas.

A World Apart

A delightful time this morning catching up on blogs that spawned a couple of thoughts.

First from CAT who talked about Dinner Alone in a very poetic fashion.

At 75 my some of my friends and I are quite happy having Christmas Dinner alone. We have loving families but visiting and socializing and often staying overnight is quite exhausting,

Alone does not necessarily mean lonely.

I plan a special meal, as is another friend at 89. In fact, she suggested the meal this time. Rock Cornish Hen. And I suggested a recipe for orange sauce. A wild rice side. Some lovely vegetables. Some bubbles, probably a Prosecco or Henkel Trocken. And I think a nice mincemeat tart or pie!

Designed for one person and oh so lovely!

Now on the other note. PC (politically correct) has gone to extremes.

Do not take offence when I wish you a Merry Christmas…

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Christmas Past!

A World Apart

Christmas is coming and the geese are getting fat
Please put a penny in the old man’s hat;
If you haven’t got a penny a ha’penny will do,
If you haven’t got a ha’penny then God bless you!”
Nursery rhyme and Christmas carol (frequently sung as around).

When I was growing up in London following the end of WW2 we always had goose for Christmas dinner. Not for us a turkey. In fact, I don’t ever remember having turkey at home until long after I was married.

Now, with only three sleeps to The Day, my thoughts have turned to other Christmases. Most have been successful; one Christmas my DYS (Dashing Young Scotsman) decided he wouldn’t go to London with us but at the last moment changed his mind. No flights were available except a United one that went through Chicago on its way to London. Imagine the…

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Back on schedule Back on schedule

A World Apart

Although I seem to be doing better than ever this year I find myself singing a bit of the same song of many of my friends. That time is flying, busyness seems, well, busy.

For the first time in years my holiday prep was completed a few days ago. No stress wondering what what I was going to give. But my days have been full. How about you?

I didn’t think that applied to me but when I hear just about everyone I know say the same thing, I have to wonder how wide spread it is.

Is it age related? Could be because of course many of my peeps are of a certain age.

I love many things about winter. (and every other season). But I especially love ice on trees. This was taken off my balcony the other day.

It thrills me. Trees are beautiful to me. Naked…

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Christmas is Coming

A World Apart

And just to add to the stress levels at this time of the year – click here to see the countdown to Christmas. Here in New Zealand at 5.40 pm, I see that the countdown is 6 days; 6 hours; 11 minutes; 22 seconds.

So thinking of Christmas, and as my son will tell anyone who cares to listen that his mother is a fount of useless information and just in case you play trivia over the holidays, Did you know?

• Decorated evergreen trees have been part of December celebrations in Europe for many centuries reminding everyone that spring is just around the corner. The decorated Christmas tree became accepted in the UK when Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and the children were depicted in the “Illustrated London News” standing around a lavishly decorated Christmas tree.
• Christmas was cancelled in England in the 1640s when Puritan law forbade churches to open…

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Can You Hear What I Hear?

A World Apart

“Once you appreciate one of your blessings, one of your senses,
your sense of hearing, then you begin to respect the sense
of seeing and touching and tasting,
you learn to respect all the senses.”
Maya Angelou, American poet, and civil rights activist.
1928-2014

Following my misadventure six years ago, it was discovered that I had lost 50% of my hearing in one ear and about 30% in the other, so I had to have hearing aids.Of course, six years down the track, technology has moved on and what was once state-of-the-art has now been overtaken and so it was necessary to get some new hearing aids.And yesterday was the day to pick up my new set.

These are so much more adaptable than the old ones and while I haven’t had the opportunity to check them out in a crowded restaurant yet, I am very pleased with the progress…

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